Foldable closure



June 10, 1952 M. J. PLANEAUX FOLDABLE CLOSURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 16, 1950 INVENTOR. MARVIN J. PLANEAUX 77 I I l I l 5 i '1 I h l "l1 L i ATTORNEY June 10, 1952 M. J. PLANEAUX 2,599,860

FOLDABLE CLOSURE Filed D80. 16, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. MARVINJ. PLAN EAUX ATTORNEY.

Patented June 10, 1952 FQLDABLE CIJQSLU'RE Marvin: J Planeaux; NewCastle, Ind2, vasslgnor. to; New Castle; Products, Inc Nemcastlelnd aricorporation of Indiana Application December-16, 1950'-,-SerialfNo:2301;19'?

This; invention relates; to, a. foldableclosure suitable for closing anopening andextendablc into a position. for closing the opening. andi.col"--.-

lapsible forexposing the-opening.

This. invention is acontinuation in1 partgofimy joint application; for a.Foldabl'e Closure; Serial No; 612,816, filedAugust 2T,1945,.which-Lbecame Patent'No. 2,584,111 February 5; 1952.

Thechief object. of this invention-isto tie to-- gether superimposedfoldablehinged plates at the top; intermediate position or positions;and bottomof a fabric covered. closure-so that the various superimposedhinged-plates are caused tomoveinthe-same planeas: the closure in eitherexpanded-or compressed,

- To accomplish the tying together-ofthe-super imposed hinged plates;thepintles on whichthe plates fold extend the-full height oftheclosure,

and simultaneously connect the adjacent ends-ofall horizontallycollapsible vertically. superimposed'plates; The extended 'pintlesservea covering. folding means as-well as additional closurereinforcement.

In accordance with'my invention; the hinged plates, preferably those atthe'top of the" struc-- ture, are of lazytongs' construction, and each--plate is preferably weldedto one of its pintlesso that the pintle isrequired to rotate correspondingly-with the angular movement of'theplate to which it is welded. Since the superimposed plates of othercollapsibleplateseries-for the 'closure 4 are also weldedto thesamepintles,

the; lower and intermediate plates are required to move correspondinglywiththe movement or 'the topseries of plates exception the slighttorsional displacement between the tops and" bottomsof the pintlesdue totorsional defiectionun der strain.

When each of the pintles at the-ends of the-- platesare welded to oneplate-of each series, a

plateof one or more-of the series may be'broken oromitted entirely; andeven so, the seriesof' plates; including-onesin which-the broken or:

omitted plates occur, will be caused, by" the welded pintles, tofollow-the movement of the lazy tongs plates which are complete. Infact, one whole series of plates forming one-half of a lazy tongsstructure may be omitted in all positions-except one; i. e., atthe top;theintermediate,- or the bottom of the closure, and the hinged platesfrom which the omissions have been-madewill follow the angles of thecorresponding plates of the complete lazy tongs.

In accordance with my invention, if even only one; of the pintlesextending lengthwise of the closure is welded to a corresponding lazytongsplate of another collapsible superimposed lazy tongs, the upperandlower lazytongs will be caused to move correspondingly as the lazytongsare onenedor c1osed, thougmbecause of -the-torsional defieotionpi thepintles between; the .top

5 cl ims (Cl. woe-s4).

and the bottom of astall c1osure;.. and' because of? economical;considerations requiring; theu use'a;

of slender pintles,.Ii have found" it desirable to:

weld morer than one pintle; to theasuperim'posed: platesz which itserves, and I have found that; smaller diameterrpintlescantbe'usedlifalllof the; pintlesqconnecting theends of the-z. collapsible:

plates are welded to .the superimposedplates: oft:

atileastthet-top and'bottom' series or collapsible-s plates;

If it isfound desirable to use-only one orstvvoi: welded: .pintles; Ihave found it advantageous 1:;- to locatethese pintles. at the; verticalends :oftttliea collapsible structure because, in these: positions;

the .pintles. may be. made.- large enough so that: they will havezonlyvery slight-angular. displacee" mentbetween the-.top and: thebottom ofthe;clo'-=-- sure;v With the two end pintles thus; welded f or;

otherwise secured. to one. of the; end platesrofi each of the. series;of col1'apsible. lazy tongs; the lazy-tongs of allof the-thus connectedserie -arm caused to move correspondingly; With: thi farrangement,however, a broken or-omittedlazy.

tongs section: will prevent the; series of lazy-:tongs sections in whichone-member is .brokenorrmisss ing. from. moving correspondingly with;the: other lazyztongs structure.

If; it is desiredto still further stiffen the structurez'b'ecause of theuse of;slender:pintles, some of thepintles connecting'the midGIESTOfitheelazy tongsplates may alsobewelded to correspond-- ing, plates; ofthesuperimposedseries: of lazy tongs structures;

My invention is illustrated in the accompanyingzdrawings, in which Fig.1 is a segmental illustration of my struce ture with the fabric omitted.

Fig: 2 is a plan view, of my folding-closurein folded;.position,including the: fabric covering, but: omitting the track and suspending:rollers;

Fig.1.? is a segmental plantaken onthe :line;-

3'-.-3 of-Fig. .1, but including the fabric cover and omitting thetrack. and suspending rollers.

Fig. 4 Ba segmental plan showing the-manner in which the hinged platesare hinged'together: attheir-middles, including the fabric cover-"andomitting the track and-suspending: rollers;

Referring particularly to: Fig; 1 of the draw ings,:a; wall It has anopening ll therein, with'-=a-= a. bottom .slotted track.I21extending:across-it withinwhich suitable trolley structure's: l3 and14'"- IOIL'. The trolley structure l3 supports the lead post: 15, whileone or more of the trolley strum tures-llikecl l support intermediateparts of 'the The-lead .post I51'is provided with a-cushion strip I6,which engages a bumper socket strip-l-l carried by the vertical part: [8of 'thewalll0.

Thelead post I 5' is preferably provided withop posite fhandles l 9} andif desired; may--'b'e'--pro'- videdzalsowith suitable -latch-' means;'-not-shown;

A pintle 3| passes through all of the brackets 24,

and has welded, as at 30, 'or otherwise secured to it the several halfplates 3! of the several series of hinged plates. The other half plates32' are pivoted on the pintle 3| and are free to rotate thereon.

The opposite ends of each of the half plates 32' are welded or otherwisesecured to the pintle.

32. In a like manner, the pintle 33 is weldedto one of the ends of eachof the full lazy tongs plates 33'. For convenience, the pintles for theends of the full length hinged plates are numbered consecutively from 32to 45, and the hinged plates, which are welded or otherwise secured tothe pintles, are numbered consecutively from 32' to 45'. The half lengthhinge plates 46' are welded or otherwise secured to the pintle 46, whichis pivotally supported in the brackets 41, attached to the rear post 20.Each of the'hinged plates is pivoted at its unwelded end about thepintle which is welded to the adjacent hinged plate. The full lengthhinged plates 33' and 35', 34' and 36, 31' and 39, 38' and 46, 4| and43', and 42' and 44 are pivoted together at their midpoints at whichthey cross one another. Some of the pintles for the midplate hinges,such as, Fig. 1, are illustrated as being welded at 29 to the plates 34of the several lazy tongs structures, while certain other pintles, suchas 49, are illustrated as attached to trolley structures, such as [4,without being welded or other- .40

wise rigidly secured to any of the hinged plates.

The covering material 56 for the closure is attached to the top andbottom series of hinged plates by means of tapes i, which are stitchedto the fabric of the covering and fastened to each of the plates byfasteners 53, which have heads lying against the outside of the tapes5!, and which have their flat metal ends extended through holes 54 inthe plates and bent outwardly, as at 55, Fig. 1, to hold the tape and,consequently, the fabric covering onto the hinged plates.

In the operation of my closure, the welded pintles cause the severallazy tongs structures to collapse or expand in exact unison so thatpressure at any place from the top to the bottom of the lead post I5causes the lead post to move in a perfectly vertical position.

The closure is not permitted to sag between its ends because of thetrolleys M, which may be attached to either one or more of theintermediate pintles 49. If the opening II is a wide one, then severaltrolleys similar to l4 will be used, whereas, if the opening is a narrowone,

only one trolley is necessary to keep the closure from sagging. Saggingis also resisted by the fact that the pintles for the ends of the lazytongs plates are welded to corresponding plates of the several series.In order for the closure to sag, the pintles would have to be bent outof alignment in the several superimposed hinged sections.

While I have described my invention with reference to the illustratedstructure, I do not wish to be unduly limited to the specific structure,many-modifications being possible Without other at the bottom of theclosure, means to support the top lazy tongs structure at its ends andat an intermediate position, a plurality of connected plates included ineach of said structures,

pintles for the end of the plates of each lazy tongs structure extendingvertically of the closure and rigidly attached as by welding to platesof the lower lazy tongs andvto corresponding superimposed plates of thetop lazy tongs.

2. In a closure supporting mechanism, a collapsible series of crossedplates'forming a lazy tongs at the top of the closure, means supportingthe crossed plate lazyltongs facilitating its opening and closing,vertical pintles for the ends of the crossed'plates of the lazy tongs, aseries of hinged plates at the bottom of the closure, the said pintlesextending from the ends of the crossed plates of the lazy tongs to theends of the hinged plates at the bottom of the closure and being rigidlyattached at the top and bottom to correspondingly superimposed plates'ofthe lazy tongs and hinged structure.

. 3. In a foldable closure supporting mechanism,

two lazy tongs structures, one across the top and the other across thebottom of the closure, each comprising a plurality of platessuccessively plate of the lower lazy tongs, each plate of each lazytongs being rigidly secured to at least one pintle to which thecorresponding plate of the other lazy tongs is rigidly secured.

4. In a foldable closure supporting mechanism; a lazy tongs structurehaving half hinged plates at each end and a plurality of cross-hingedplates serially connecting at their ends between the ends of the halfhinged plates, one pintle for each plate and each half plate beingrigidly secured as by welding to one plate only of the lazy tongs, asecond hinged structure for the closure having plates of equal length asthose of the lazy tongs but located remote from the lazy tongs; theplates of the second hinged structure being welded to the same pintlesasv the superimposed plates of the lazy tongs.

5. A pair of lazy tongs structures positioned one above the other andhaving a like number of REFERENCES orrnn The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,460,157 Watkins Jan. 25, 19492,512,736 Brenner -1--- June 27, 1950

